2005 Games of the Small States of Europe
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe, or the XIth Games of the Small States of Europe, were held in Andorra la Vella
, Andorra
from May 30 to June 4, 2005. Andorra la Vella previously hosted the games in 1991. Administration of the games was done jointly by the Andorran government and the Andorran Olympic Committee
. Joan Enric Vives Sicília
, one of the Co-Princes of Andorra, declared the games open on May 30.
was one of the largest ever and were attended by all eligible countries. Eligible nations are European states with less than 1 million citizens. 793 total athletes from the eight eligible nations competed, the highest since 803 attended the 1993 Games in Valletta
. Cyprus
had 150 participants. The host nation Andorra brought 132. Iceland
and Luxembourg
had 120 and 118 participants respectively. San Marino
brought 94 athletes, while Monaco
brought 76. Malta
participated with 66 athletes, and Liechtenstein
brought 37.
; Squash
was removed from competition. It was replaced in Andorra by Taekwondo
.
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.
|}
. Andorran singer Estefania Alimbau performed the theme at the games’ opening ceremonies. The intention is for “The Flame in the Hands” to become the general theme of the Games of the Small States of Europe, not just the 2005 Games.
The mascot of the games was Bagaleu, a white owl with multicolored glasses. Bagaleu was designed by an Andorran student. The student also composed a myth of Bagaleu’s origins; in this story, he hails from the town of Llorts
. Bagaleu publicly debuted in Parc Central in Andorra la Vella on October 20, 2004.
both attended the opening ceremonies of the Games at Sonwell Field.
Among the star athletes of the games was Andorran swimmer Hocine Haciane
. Haciane won five gold medals and one silver medal, winning the 400 m freestyle, 200 m breaststroke, 200 m butterfly, 200 m and 400 m medleys, and finishing second in the 1,500 m freestyle. Hacine spent the time before the competition training in Paris
. Haciane is an internationally established competitor. Previously, Haciane carried the flag for Andorra in the Opening Ceremony
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, Greece
. Haciane was the only Andorran to win a medal of any color in the pool.
Another athlete with great success in the pool was Icelandic swimmer Sigrun Bra Sverrisdottir. She had five medals in the freestyle: bronzes in the 100 m and 200 m, and golds in the 400 m, 800 m, and 4x100 m relay. The Icelandic swimmers had great success overall, winning 34 medals, twice the number of second place Cyprus. Unsurprisingly, they fared well in the swimming relays, being the only nation to win a medal in each of the six relay events. Cyprus won medals in five.
Cyprus continued its success in relays at the athletics events. Cypriots have won every women’s 4x400 m held in competition, and also won their third straight men’s 4x400 m. Cyprus also won the women’s 4x100 m. Malta won the other relay, the men’s 4x100 m, which Cyprus had won in the 2001 and 2003 Games.
Daniel Abenzoar-Foule of Luxembourg won the men’s 100 m and 200 m, taking advantage of the retirement of Anninos Marcoullides
. Marcoullides had won the double at the previous two Games and four times in total. Abenzoar finished second to Marcoullides in the 200 m at Malta in 2003.
Cypriot Eleni Artymata
duplicated Abenzoar’s feat on the women’s side, winning the women’s 100 m and 200 m. Artymata also duplicated the feat of countrywoman Marilia Gregoriou, who won the same double in 2003. Artymata tied Gregoriou’s competition record in the women’s 100 m with a time of 11.67 seconds. In the women’s middle distance events, fellow Cypriot Anna Christofidou pulled off a double of her own, winning the 800 m and 1500 m.
Several athletes defended their titles from the previous games. Among the most notable was Irini Charalambous, a female Cypriot jumper. Charalambous won her third consecutive long jump title, and her fourth in the last five Games. Cyprus also retained the women’s triple jump when Maria Diikiti retained her title as well. Andorran distance runner Toni Bernardó repeated in the men’s 5000 m, and Andorran middle distance runner Victor Martínez won the 1500 m. Martínez won the 1500 m at the 1997, 1999, and 2001 Games.
Liechtenstein may have won the fewest medals at the 2005 Games, but had great success in the cycling events. Marc Ruhe won gold in the mountain course, while Dimitri Jiriakov finished first in the road course. Luxembourg also had success in cycling events. Luxembourgers won gold and silver in the cycling time trial, silver and bronze in the road race, and silver in the mountain race; all five Luxembourger cycling medals were won by different riders.
Cyprus won the gold medal in men’s basketball with a win over Andorra, coming back from a significant deficit and winning the game on the strength of a seventeen point fourth quarter advantage. Unlike many tournaments, though, the short duration of the Games of the Small States means that the tournament is purely in round-robin
format, so Andorra did not win the silver medal. Iceland
took the silver in men’s basketball, and Luxembourg the bronze. Iceland also took the silver in women’s basketball, while Luxembourg took the gold and Malta the bronze.
Iceland won three individual taekwondo events, and Cyprus won another three. These successes led the Icelanders to win the women’s team medal and the Cypriots the men’s. Also held in Escaldes-Engordany were the Judo events. Monaco had their best showing in Judo, winning three golds, a silver, and four bronzes. Iceland had similar success in Judo as in Taekwondo, and won four golds, continuing their success at the Prat Gran Pavilion.
In racquet sports, the Maltese fared well in men’s table tennis. They took gold and silver in men’s singles, and then the duo paired to win the doubles and lead Malta to the team medal. The Sammarinese and Luxembourgers split dominance for the women’s events, each winning a gold, with San Marino taking the team title. Luxembourg made up for that, winning both women’s tennis events and the men’s doubles. Monaco took the men’s singles gold.
Cyprus had a very successful Games and led the medal count again after leading it in Malta. Their success stretched across all disciplines, but they were especially successful in Athletics. Iceland finished second in the medal table; almost half of the Icelandic medals came in swimming events. Andorra had a large boost in successes from being the host nation and having more athletes participate; they had 11 more medals than in Malta in 2003.
. Beach Volleyball was held in Parc Central, in the center of the city. All athletics events similarly took place in the similarly centrally located Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella.
Road cycling events took place on the streets of Andorra la Vella. Mountain cycling events took place in the skiing resort town of Pal
in the province of La Massana
. Also taking place in that province were tennis events. Tennis was held indoors on hard courts at L'Aldosa Sport Complex in the town of La Massana.
Some shooting events took place at the La Rabassa range in Sant Julià de Lòria
. Taekwondo and Judo events also took place outside of Andorra la Vella, at the Prat Gran Pavilion in Escaldes-Engordany
. Lastly, table tennis took place at the Centre d'Encamp in Encamp
Many of the venues used in the 2005 Games were also used in 1991, the last time Andorra hosted the event.
Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
, Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
from May 30 to June 4, 2005. Andorra la Vella previously hosted the games in 1991. Administration of the games was done jointly by the Andorran government and the Andorran Olympic Committee
Andorran Olympic Committee
Andorran Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Andorra....
. Joan Enric Vives Sicília
Joan Enric Vives Sicília
Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicília is the current Bishop of Urgell, a Roman Catholic diocese, and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra...
, one of the Co-Princes of Andorra, declared the games open on May 30.
Overview and participation
The 2005 edition of the Games of the Small States of EuropeGames of the Small States of Europe
The Games of the Small States of Europe is a biennial, multi-sport event, launched by the Republic of San Marino, organized by and featuring the National Olympic Committees of eight European small states since 1985...
was one of the largest ever and were attended by all eligible countries. Eligible nations are European states with less than 1 million citizens. 793 total athletes from the eight eligible nations competed, the highest since 803 attended the 1993 Games in Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
. Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
had 150 participants. The host nation Andorra brought 132. Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
had 120 and 118 participants respectively. San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
brought 94 athletes, while Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
brought 76. Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
participated with 66 athletes, and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
brought 37.
Competitions
Competitions in the 2005 Games were held in ten disciplines; a total of 120 events were held in these ten disciplines. There was one change in disciplines since the 2003 Games2003 Games of the Small States of Europe
The 2003 Games of the Small States of Europe, or the Xth Games of the Small States of Europe, were held in Valletta, Malta from June 2 to June 7, 2003. Valletta previously hosted the games in 1993. Malta was not due to host the Games again until 2009, but a strong bid helped them to gain the...
; Squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
was removed from competition. It was replaced in Andorra by Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
.
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.
|}
Themes and mascots
The 2005 Games theme song was called “The Flame in the Hands.” Lyrics and music were both written by composer Pep SalaPep Sala
Pep Sala is a Catalan musician, songwriter and record producer. With singer Carles Sabater, Sala formed the rock català group Sau, which achieved great popularity in the 1990s...
. Andorran singer Estefania Alimbau performed the theme at the games’ opening ceremonies. The intention is for “The Flame in the Hands” to become the general theme of the Games of the Small States of Europe, not just the 2005 Games.
The mascot of the games was Bagaleu, a white owl with multicolored glasses. Bagaleu was designed by an Andorran student. The student also composed a myth of Bagaleu’s origins; in this story, he hails from the town of Llorts
Llorts
Llorts is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of Ordino.Andorra's Iron Route runs between Llorts and La Cortinada, following the sites of Andorra's historic mining and iron working industries that were active in the 17th–19th centuries. On the edge of the village is a 19th-century iron...
. Bagaleu publicly debuted in Parc Central in Andorra la Vella on October 20, 2004.
Highlights
IOC president Jacques Rogge and former IOC president Juan Antonio SamaranchJuan Antonio Samaranch
Don Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquis of Samaranch, Grandee of Spain , known in Catalan as Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló , was a Catalan Spanish sports administrator who served as the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001...
both attended the opening ceremonies of the Games at Sonwell Field.
Among the star athletes of the games was Andorran swimmer Hocine Haciane
Hocine Haciane
Hocine Haciane is a swimmer who represented Andorra at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, then in Beijing in 2008. He was also the flag bearer for Andorra.-References:***...
. Haciane won five gold medals and one silver medal, winning the 400 m freestyle, 200 m breaststroke, 200 m butterfly, 200 m and 400 m medleys, and finishing second in the 1,500 m freestyle. Hacine spent the time before the competition training in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Haciane is an internationally established competitor. Previously, Haciane carried the flag for Andorra in the Opening Ceremony
2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games was held on August 13, 2004 at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Haciane was the only Andorran to win a medal of any color in the pool.
Another athlete with great success in the pool was Icelandic swimmer Sigrun Bra Sverrisdottir. She had five medals in the freestyle: bronzes in the 100 m and 200 m, and golds in the 400 m, 800 m, and 4x100 m relay. The Icelandic swimmers had great success overall, winning 34 medals, twice the number of second place Cyprus. Unsurprisingly, they fared well in the swimming relays, being the only nation to win a medal in each of the six relay events. Cyprus won medals in five.
Cyprus continued its success in relays at the athletics events. Cypriots have won every women’s 4x400 m held in competition, and also won their third straight men’s 4x400 m. Cyprus also won the women’s 4x100 m. Malta won the other relay, the men’s 4x100 m, which Cyprus had won in the 2001 and 2003 Games.
Daniel Abenzoar-Foule of Luxembourg won the men’s 100 m and 200 m, taking advantage of the retirement of Anninos Marcoullides
Anninos Marcoullides
Anninos Marcoullides is a retired Cypriot sprinter who specialized in 100 and 200 metre races...
. Marcoullides had won the double at the previous two Games and four times in total. Abenzoar finished second to Marcoullides in the 200 m at Malta in 2003.
Cypriot Eleni Artymata
Eleni Artymata
Eleni Artymata is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for Cyprus.Artymata represented Cyprus at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She competed at the 200 metres, where she reached the second round. She won two medals, a gold in the 200 m and a bronze in the 100 m at...
duplicated Abenzoar’s feat on the women’s side, winning the women’s 100 m and 200 m. Artymata also duplicated the feat of countrywoman Marilia Gregoriou, who won the same double in 2003. Artymata tied Gregoriou’s competition record in the women’s 100 m with a time of 11.67 seconds. In the women’s middle distance events, fellow Cypriot Anna Christofidou pulled off a double of her own, winning the 800 m and 1500 m.
Several athletes defended their titles from the previous games. Among the most notable was Irini Charalambous, a female Cypriot jumper. Charalambous won her third consecutive long jump title, and her fourth in the last five Games. Cyprus also retained the women’s triple jump when Maria Diikiti retained her title as well. Andorran distance runner Toni Bernardó repeated in the men’s 5000 m, and Andorran middle distance runner Victor Martínez won the 1500 m. Martínez won the 1500 m at the 1997, 1999, and 2001 Games.
Liechtenstein may have won the fewest medals at the 2005 Games, but had great success in the cycling events. Marc Ruhe won gold in the mountain course, while Dimitri Jiriakov finished first in the road course. Luxembourg also had success in cycling events. Luxembourgers won gold and silver in the cycling time trial, silver and bronze in the road race, and silver in the mountain race; all five Luxembourger cycling medals were won by different riders.
Cyprus won the gold medal in men’s basketball with a win over Andorra, coming back from a significant deficit and winning the game on the strength of a seventeen point fourth quarter advantage. Unlike many tournaments, though, the short duration of the Games of the Small States means that the tournament is purely in round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
format, so Andorra did not win the silver medal. Iceland
Iceland national basketball team
The Icelandic national basketball team is the national basketball team of Iceland.The team participates at European tournaments. It is currently at the qualifying round and is well represented in the Games of the Small States of Europe....
took the silver in men’s basketball, and Luxembourg the bronze. Iceland also took the silver in women’s basketball, while Luxembourg took the gold and Malta the bronze.
Iceland won three individual taekwondo events, and Cyprus won another three. These successes led the Icelanders to win the women’s team medal and the Cypriots the men’s. Also held in Escaldes-Engordany were the Judo events. Monaco had their best showing in Judo, winning three golds, a silver, and four bronzes. Iceland had similar success in Judo as in Taekwondo, and won four golds, continuing their success at the Prat Gran Pavilion.
In racquet sports, the Maltese fared well in men’s table tennis. They took gold and silver in men’s singles, and then the duo paired to win the doubles and lead Malta to the team medal. The Sammarinese and Luxembourgers split dominance for the women’s events, each winning a gold, with San Marino taking the team title. Luxembourg made up for that, winning both women’s tennis events and the men’s doubles. Monaco took the men’s singles gold.
Cyprus had a very successful Games and led the medal count again after leading it in Malta. Their success stretched across all disciplines, but they were especially successful in Athletics. Iceland finished second in the medal table; almost half of the Icelandic medals came in swimming events. Andorra had a large boost in successes from being the host nation and having more athletes participate; they had 11 more medals than in Malta in 2003.
Medal count
| 1 |  CyprusCyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
39 | 28 | 24 | 91 |
| 2 |  IcelandIceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
26 | 23 | 27 | 76 |
| 3 |  LuxembourgLuxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
18 | 21 | 23 | 62 |
| 4 |  MonacoMonaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
11 | 8 | 18 | 37 |
| 5 |  AndorraAndorra Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... |
8 | 14 | 9 | 31 |
| 6 |  MaltaMalta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
7 | 13 | 18 | 38 |
| 7 |  San MarinoSan Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
6 | 9 | 7 | 22 |
| 8 |  LiechtensteinLiechtenstein The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan... |
5 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
Venues
Fittingly, most of the events of the 2005 Games took place in Andorra la Vella itself. Swimming and volleyball were both held at the Serradells Pavilion. Basketball took place at the main sports complex in the city, Poliesportiu de GovernPoliesportiu de Govern
Poliesportiu de Govern is an indoor sporting arena located in Andorra la Vella, Andorra. The capacity of the arena is 4,000 people and opened in 1991. It hosts various sporting events such as team handball.-References:...
. Beach Volleyball was held in Parc Central, in the center of the city. All athletics events similarly took place in the similarly centrally located Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella.
Road cycling events took place on the streets of Andorra la Vella. Mountain cycling events took place in the skiing resort town of Pal
Pal, Andorra
Pal is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana 4 km west of the town of La Massana, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars.A legend says that Pal was discovered by a man of Riberaygua Familly....
in the province of La Massana
La Massana
La Massana is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. . La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana derives from the Latin name mattianam for a variety of apple.The parish is extremely mountainous and...
. Also taking place in that province were tennis events. Tennis was held indoors on hard courts at L'Aldosa Sport Complex in the town of La Massana.
Some shooting events took place at the La Rabassa range in Sant Julià de Lòria
Sant Julià de Lòria
Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra...
. Taekwondo and Judo events also took place outside of Andorra la Vella, at the Prat Gran Pavilion in Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Els Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
. Lastly, table tennis took place at the Centre d'Encamp in Encamp
Encamp
Encamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira d'Orient river, and connected by a cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of 2004, it...
Many of the venues used in the 2005 Games were also used in 1991, the last time Andorra hosted the event.